Cliché
by ShyxSkater
Summary: Lucina had become an overused cliche. She was in Middle Earth. She was a stupid, useless fangirl in Middle Earth. She had become her second literary guilty pleasure. And how is she supposed to focus on getting home when the Line of Durin have faces like that? Movieverse. M for adult themes and excessive cursing. Pairing currently undetermined - Either Thorin/OC or Fili/OC
1. Chapter 1

**As of right now italics are used for both emphasis and thoughts. I trust you'll be able to tell the difference.**

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><p>Darkness was beginning to overtake, painting the sky in pinks and oranges. There was no sound but the small breeze rustling the leaves of large trees, a running stream and a group of chirping crickets. A few yards away from the stream was a large moss covered boulder. A boulder that currently supported the sleeping form of a young woman. Her light skin looked radiant under the glow of the sunset while the orange rays lit her dark hair in a glossy shine. She was dressed in grey, fur-lined, leather boots, white stretch skinny jeans, and a bright pink blouse with rolled sleeves and excess fabric that tied at the bottom. On her left wrist she wore a silver chained bracelet with dangling charms while around her neck was a thin silver chain with an Aries pendant that rested just above her cleavage.<p>

The girl awoke with a start. She must have fallen asleep for a few hours. She had only meant to take a rest from her hike for a moment. She would have to Google Maps her way out of this now. A teenage girl, alone at night in the woods. It wasn't an ideal situation. _God damnit_ she swore mentally. She stretched her back which resulted in a relaxing series of quick pops.

"Okay, so. Google maps. Right. How the hell am I eve- where?" She muttered to herself groggily, halting mid-sentence when she realized her phone wasn't in her back pocket. She groaned and checked the outside pockets of her rucksack. "Shit!" She yelled to herself when they turned out empty as well. She flipped the bag upside down and dumped out the bag's entirety of contents.

"Motherfucker! Someone seriously stole my phone! You have got to be kidding me right now. Jesus, god damnit." She continued to mutter curses as she angrily shoved every item back into her bag. She could almost hear her mother reprimanding her for taking the Lord's name in vain. But she never cared, _especially_ right now when she was in the middle of the woods, alone, with night fast approaching.

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><p>She had decided to follow the stream. It had to lead to the canal or to a water plant at some point, and she was already an hour into walking, at least. It's not like the forests of New York were vast. If she just followed a straight path she was sure that she would end up by some street or at least some train tracks in a few more hours. Her steps had grown purposefully heavy on the rocks. She bobbed her head along to the steady rhythm of her stomps.<p>

"People, working every night and day. Never give yourself no time, got too many bills to pay. Slow down. Nothin's gonna disappear if you give yourself some room to move to the music you hear." She sang. She wasn't a terrible singer but it was obvious she wasn't anything special either. She started clapping every other stomp. "Gotta get up, listen to me. Clappa your hands, stompa your feet." Singing helped her pass time and it often distracted her from her thoughts. Whenever she could feel her anxiety growing she would try to just sing. It usually helped calm her completely or at least allowed her to push her attacks off for later.

Almost a full minute had passed and her singing had not ceased, in fact it had increased in volume and she had taken to adding a bounce in her step. "You don't even need to tr-" Her singing and poor dance-walking halted immediately when a sharp and _very_ real looking arrow was drawn in her face. Where the hell did this guy even come from? And why the fuck did he have a bow?!

"Uh… hello?" She could barely make out his facial features in the dimming light but she could make out the obvious fact that he was dressed differently. _Oh!_ She exclaimed mentally, suddenly excited. _He must be a cosplayer. Wow look at the detail in that belt._ Of course the fact that he was still pointing the lethal looking arrow right between her eyes and the obviousness that he could easily overpower her did not go ignored.

They had both been silent in their assessments. "My name's Lucina Fassbender, no relation to the actor." She said with a small chuckle at the end. He lowered his aim to the dirt but kept his hands in position on the weapon. "Uhm, well. Actually, maybe you could help me? I came here for a hike earlier today and I fell asleep upstream and now I'm sorta lost. I would use my phone but it seems like someone stole it while I was sleeping. If you could just point me in the right direction I'll let you get back to your cosplay." She had begun to ramble unknowingly. Her stomach was churning and her anxiety grew with each silent second. Something was telling her that this was wrong. That there was something completely _wrong_ but she couldn't tell what just yet.

"A lady shouldn't travel alone at night. I'll take you to Uncle. He or Gandalf may be able to help you." He offered her a smile and while the gesture was a relief, the sinking feeling in her stomach remained. This was it. She was going to die in the woods by the hands of some Tolkien cosplayers. She could already see the headlines _New York teen found murdered in woods due to rising popularity of The Hobbit_. Ugh.

"Oh, okay, sure." Lucina agreed quietly. She had started to follow him away from the stream hesitantly. She was still apprehensive to follow a stranger into the woods but he was kind, even helping her over some slippery rocks and one unnecessarily large tree root. She tried to hide the trembling in her hands and control her erratic breathing for his sake more so than her own.

The panic swelling in her chest increased tenfold when she spotted the glow of a campfire and the laughter of _many_ more men. _Christ_ she swore. She was never going to go on a hike after this, never again. Just fuck the outside in general.

As soon as they stepped foot inside camp all eyes turned to them. _Woah… this is seriously some good cosplay. Maybe if they don't murder me I can join in. Of course it probably cost them all a shit ton of money. Money I don't have._

"Who is this?" The deep voice resonated from behind her. She squeaked and jumped. The command in his voice grated on her already frayed nerves. _Ohgodohgodohgod_. She and her guide turned around to come face to face with two other men and one man who was a good two or so feet taller than her, dressed in all grey.

"I-I'm Lucina Fassbender and I was…" This cosplay was too good. She recognized the two regular heighted men as Thorin Oakenshield and Fili while the tallest was most obviously meant to be Gandalf. Fili looked as desirable as he always was on screen and on paper and Thorin just as fierce as she ever imagined. Fili and Gandalf were smiling at her while the King under the Mountain galred with suspicion. _They look exactly like the actors..._

"I don't know where I am…" Her voice was quiet. She couldn't even stand to look at the Fili look-alike for more than a second and the Thorin had a frightening gaze so she just stared at the forest floor. _It's a dream. It's just a dream. It's just a really fantastic dream. I'm going to be okay. I'm going to wake up and I'm going to have my phone and I'm going to be able to go back home. _Glancing at Fili once more she sighed aloud. _I have got to stop marathoning whole movie series._ She risked a glance at Fili. _Oh jesus he's so attractive. Oh this needs to stop now. I can't._ "I'd like to wake up now." She whispered out loud to herself on accident.

"Wake up? My dear, I assure you; you are quite awake right now." At Gandalf's words she finally looked up at him. She had had lucid dreams before. Of course, it never changed the outcome much. Knowing you're dreaming sometimes just makes it worse. It makes a person feel frustrated because they know they _can_ do something but their subconscious just won't get the memo. She pinched her arms, hoping the common saying would really work.

It didn't though.

"Right. Not a dream. Because Thorin Oakenshield and Company are _totally _real." She said quite nonchalantly with an eye-roll but she couldn't fight the crushing feeling. Her world felt like it was collapsing and she wanted to believe what she was saying but her whole body was telling her she was wrong. Everything around her was simply too real to her senses. _Wake up Lucy. Wake up, wake up, wake up._

"What do you-" Thorin had begun to growl at her but Gandalf quickly cut him off, even tossing the end of his staff across the approaching dwarf's chest.

"We are very much real." Gandalf confirmed, ignoring the vicious glare from the dwarven king. She stared at Gandalf. She stared, and stared. Everything was silent, save for a few distant crickets and a single pop from the burning firewood. Gandalf was staring at her just as thoroughly.

And suddenly Lucina's brain just accepted it. It was impossible, but her mind decided it was right. Her body had been trying to tell her the whole time. And glancing around at all the watchful eyes of the very _real_ men surrounding her only confirmed it.

"Ah-ha." She giggled in disbelief. She was an overused cliche. She was in fucking Middle Earth. She was a stupid, useless fangirl in Middle Earth. She had become her second literary guilty pleasure. She continued to laugh as the panic consumed her further and soon the giggling was just rapid hyperventilating. Gandalf didn't seem very phased by her reaction. But Fili and her escort, she now recognized as Kili, exchanged a very startled stare. She was in Middle Earth. With no way to get home. Possibly even murdered at home.

And then she fainted.

Quite unceremoniously, honestly. One moment she was gasping for air as if she were going into anaphylactic shock, clutching unknowingly at her chest, leaving angry red scratch marks on the exposed skin, with one hand and clenching and unclenching the other; and then the next her face was slamming into the dirt at Fili's feet.

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><p><strong>Sorry it's so short. I plan on updating again in the next 24 hrs. I just wanted to throw this out there in hopes someone would enjoy it and possibly encourage it. It's been a two years since I've posted my writing and I'm honestly quite nervous. Please leave any honest reviews, my writing skills are limited to my highschool education and what I read on here. So in other words constructive criticism would be so very welcomed.<strong>

**I have an overall plan for this fic, but it's built on vague ideas so it's very susceptible to change based on what the audience wants and how Lucina's character truly develops. That's why the pairing is undecided as of yet. It is definitely between Thorin and Fili. I will take suggestions of polygamy pairing of Thorin/Lucy/Fili under consideration. I'll even consider a different pairing for Lucy if the suggestion ever arises.**

**Lots of love,**

**ShyxSkater**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello! I'm terribly sorry that I did not hold up to my promise of 24 hrs. I had assumed that since I had this chapter laid out it would be easy to get out and it was but I ran into life distractions. And I had wanted to make up going over my deadline by posting more than one at once but that's been taking far too long. But! This is three times as long as the last one, the next chapter is currently a little more than half way written and soon we'll be getting to Rivendell and all that fun stuff. Again, many apologies! If you guys notice any grammatical or spelling errors let me know.**

**This was wayyyywaywayway more well received than I ever thought, especially with such a short beginning. I was in actual tears, I can not thank you enough! Like seriously, I am grinning like crazy every single time I think about you reviewing and following and favorite-ing and just ohmygosh thank you! You're all so kind! **

**Guest 1: Thank you so much! Fili is really rad. I hope the little bit of Fili in this chapter was okay :)**

**readergirl985: Thank you! Continue to let me know your thoughts**

**Guest 2: I agree there are lots of Thorin/OC's out there and not nearly enough Fili/OC**

**kvdsouza: Thank you for leaving a review! I hope you're not too disappointed with the very slow update this time. I promise to improve that! Sorry**

**FreeSpiritSeeker: I'm glad you like it! Honestly I've never written a polygamy pairing but if more people want it I will give it my best! It's currently looking to be a little bit of a love triangle while pairings are decided I hope nobody minds, I know a lot of people have beef with love triangles.**

**Cassandra-Jayne: Thank you! You're encouragement is greatly appreciated!**

**Sorry for such a long Note, enjoy.**

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><p>Lucina counted her inhales and exhales, and clutched her necklace. She could reason with herself that panicking would not help her at all. She had to stay calm. She could get home somehow. She knew it. <em>It could be a lot worse. I could've gotten into Game of Thrones.<em> She laughed lightly at the thought and tilted her head back to stare into the branches of the trees. _I'm still completely fucked though._ She sighed.

Her head was throbbing but it was easy enough to ignore. Right now she had to focus on how to get out of this world and back into hers. From what she had seen; the dwarves had most of their packs from when they started the journey which meant they were either on their way to Rivendell or just past Rivendell. She would only dare to hope it was before Rivendell.

"You're awake."

The voice made her jump. She looked forward, albeit slightly upwards also, and met the eyes of the amused wizard.

"It seems so." She kept her dark topaz eyes on him. If there was anyone in the Company that could, and would, help her it was the grey wizard. "I'm sorry for earlier." She didn't feel the need to apologize but still figured she should. Incase her fainting caused some sort of _inconvenience_. "Is Thorin still awake?"

The wizard sat on the ground in front of her. Her gaze followed him the entire time. She felt somewhat bad for not offering to help the elderly looking man but reminded herself that the man would fight a Balrog in 60 years, he certainly didn't need any help to sit down.

"Yes, I would imagine he'll be joining our conversation soon."

She only nodded at his answer.

"You implied this was a dream of yours."

Again she only nodded. There was a pause. He was obviously expecting her to say something. But she had no idea where to start. How did you even begin to explain that none of these people or lands are supposed to be real?

"I'm uh, I'm from far away. Another world really. Did I introduce myself? I can't remember. I'm Lucina Fassbender. I'm from a place called New York. I won't try to explain my world right now, it's very large. Oh uhm, you can call me Lucy I suppose. Some people do, back home at least."

The wizard chuckled at her ramblings causing her cheeks to turn a wonderful pink.

"I should hurry and say it, Thorin shouldn't know. Well, it's up to you if he should or shouldn't, honestly. I would assume you wouldn't want him to know. I don't care if he does or not really. I'll be leaving ASAP. But where I'm from this land is fiction. It's not real. You're only characters in books. I've read the books. I know what happens. That's how… that's how I know who the company is. I have no idea at all how I got here or how to get back. But I want to go back home. For sure. Yeah." She rushed it all out, hoping to avoid Thorin possibly eavesdropping.

Gandalf seemed to be handling the information far better than she was. He was even smiling still. Perhaps he already knew she would be coming? Or maybe he thought she would be far more useful than she really was for the simple fact she implied knowledge of the outcome of the quest? Well not implied really, she straight out told him she knew. Either way, his ease was unsettling her. Finally he nodded at whatever it was he was thinking.

"She's awake." Thorin's voice made her jump far more than Gandalf's had and truthfully it sent shivers of questionable origins down her spine. He was walking towards them. His distance calmed Lucy's worry of his possible eavesdropping but his presence caused her stomach to lurch. Never had she felt so intimidated by anyone in her life. He stopped far too close to her for her liking. She looked up to his face, a mistake. His piercing eyes caused her body to burn and made her feel like her throat was closing off. Lucina's gaze fell to her dirtied jeans immediately. Her panic was climbing and it made her chest hurt and the bottom of her throat tingle.

Gandalf began to stand. "She will travel with us." He flicked his hand towards her, the statement left no room for argument. That didn't mean Thorin would not make room.

"No." Thorin growled out. He _literally_ growled the word. Lucina had never heard a man make such an animalistic noise. Well. Except for when her ex would mimic a dog's growl to get her little puppy to back away from his plate. But even that was no where near as threatening as Thorin sounded.

"You would leave a defenseless girl in the woods?" She knew Gandalf only said this to make Thorin feel obligated to let her tag along.

"I do not trust her."

Gandalf looked utterly exasperated. He looked like he was ready to bonk Thorin on the head with his staff and storm off. Lucina wouldn't blame him. If she weren't so intimidated by Thorin, she would surely feel just as annoyed by his over-cautiousness. If she were Gandalf she would probably throw her hands up and stomp away childishly, hoping someone else would deal with it.

"Please, I have no where else to go. I'll stay with your company only until you come across a town or somewhere safe enough for me to stay." She decided to bulldoze through her anxiety to spare Gandalf. Though when she saw Thorin clench his fist she regretted it instantly. "I swear I'm no threat. I cut myself when I'm just chopping up vegetables, does that sound like someone who can survive the wild on their own? I'm just so very lost. Please."

Thorin was quiet for a long time. He never looked away from her while he debated within himself. Gandalf had wandered away sometime during the quiet; Off to smoke or grumble his frustrations no doubt.

"Fine." And the great dwarven king went storming away. Lucy sighed in relief and leaned her head back onto the tree. She succeeded in saying words to Thorin. She deserved a medal. Or a high-five at least. Some Ben and Jerry's Phish Food would be a far better reward though.

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><p>She stared at the pony with murderous intent. She had nothing against ponies, in fact she usually found the creatures quite cute. But even their cuteness could not quell her thirst for blood on this morning. And she had good reason too, for her current state of red hot rage.<p>

Lucy found it hard to sleep that night. Anyone would. She had suffered all night with homesickness, the cold night air, and the uncomfortableness of sleeping against a tree. Not to mention every time she would fall asleep her body would jolt her awake with enough anxiety that she threw up in her mouth at least 3 times. Then Thorin had decided to wake her up by throwing her bag directly in her face. And when she tried to help them pack up he yelled at her as if she were some simpleton so she had stood on the edge of the camp like a scolded child as the dwarves rushed around her. In the morning light she realized that last night they had been camping at the cliffs where Balin told the story of Azog's putative defeat which she was sure meant that today would be the day of the 'deluge'. Last but not least, he had manhandled her towards the ponies and decreed she would not have her own pony.

Which is how she got here. Glaring at the king's pony, ready to explode. She only wanted to get home! She did not need him to fight her and make her feel completely inferior every single step of the way.

If it wasn't obvious; the young Lucina was not one for mornings.

"I know how to ride, I will ride one on my own." She lied. Well it wasn't really a lie, but it was not the entire truth either. She only vaguely knew how to ride a horse. She had ridden a horse 3 times and the last time had been when she was nine. And she had never ridden a horse in any condition other than minor drought seasons in Texas. She remembered how to steer the horse and other basics like to lean forward when going uphill and to lean backward downhill. Also that you don't necessarily kick the horse but rather nudge it. But maybe that was only a rule at the ranch, since they didn't allow the paying younger kids to trot or gallop.

The Company was watching their standoff in silence. Most of them were already on their own ponies. None of them had said anything to her this morning. Kili had started to approach her once but his uncle snapped at him before he could say anything to her. Gandalf had placed a hand on her shoulder after Thorin yelled at her for trying to help clean up camp and assured her, when she asked, that he had been the one to search her bag and that he had not read any of the papers within. He had simply searched for weapons and signs of any ill will before he put everything back in neatly.

"And we are to trust you will not run off? I think not." He looked behind to the Company. Lucy's rage had completely erased Thorin's intimidating effect. Her face felt hot and she knew without a doubt that her cheeks were red. Her brows pulled together, she cocked her head and her mouth lay open with the upper left corner of her lip pulling up in a pre-sneer motion. It was a rather unattractive face that she often made when she couldn't believe what the person was saying. She was highly tempted to kick her bag, which had been abandoned on the ground next to her, and stomp her foot. She knew she was better than that.

Only slightly better.

"Run off?! There are thirteen of you an-" But her shrill-growing protests were drowned out and cut off by his loud shout for Fili. "Are you serious! I swear to god if you think you can just-."

"Lucina, dear, the matter can be discussed later. For now it is decided." This time it was Gandalf who cut her off. She spun violently to face the wizened wizard. He looked almost as exasperated as he had with Thorin last night.

"It is most certainly not decided! Just because King fuckin' Arrogant over there says something all loud and shit doesn't mean that he, that he can just, just fuckin'! Ugh!" She threw her arms up. Her choice words seemed to amuse him because he now smiled as he puffed on his pipe.

Lucina was picked up from behind and almost literally thrown onto the saddle. Her arms promptly wrapped around the rider's waist to avoid sliding over the other side. Blonde hair tickled her face when she looked down to discover who had thrown her. It was no surprise to find Thorin standing there but the hard stare and the utter animosity in his eyes set her back straight and paled her features. He had her bag in his hand and was tying part of the rope that held other satchels onto the pony to the loop at the top of the bag. He did not break eye contact with her the entire time. She felt ready to empty her stomach.

He walked away and mounted his pony in silence. He did not say anything as he nudged his pony forward either. The Company followed after him but Fili waited to join rank until Kili was beside them. The unsettling feeling left by Thorin was quickly disappearing into a hot blush and butterflies as she finally began to process just who she had to ride with, _and hold onto_, all day.

Lucy adored Fili and Kili's characters. Except now they weren't just characters, they were people. Real people. That she could speak and joke with. _There's always a silver lining_._ Even when you're trapped in a fantasy world._ Fili was her favorite though. She enjoyed Kili's mischievous humor and she did find him very attractive but Fili… Fili was _Fili_. She loved his braided moustache and the many other braids that adorned his gorgeous golden mane. He had a warm smile and while his humor was very close to his brother's it was more tamed. And the way he carried himself, ugh, he was so perfect to her.

Of course her initial attraction had been to Thorin. When she sat in the theatres during her city's premiere of An Unexpected Journey she got shivers when Bilbo opened his door to the dwarf king. His dark hair and tragic past sucked her in just as Aragorn once had. His baritone did nothing but fan the flames. But as she continued to rewatch the movies and read fanfictions and oneshots she realized that while she still cherished his character deep in her heart, her attraction to him had become almost completely sexual. Unlike Fili who completely captured her heart and dominated her _feels_. Not that she wasn't sexually attracted to FIli. No. Fili was very, _very_ handsome to her too.

Lucina wanted to hug her little lion, her arms were already wrapped around him, but she knew the action would be far too odd. Her blush continued to deepen until her entire body felt warm. Kili's face was lit with a friendly smile that she returned. Until a heavy pang dragged her heart up to her throat and she had to turn away to hide her tears. _ You are so young. So kind. And you will not live. This quest, your uncle. They will be the death of you... and you deserve so much more than that. You both do. _The characters on screen that she had wept for, so awfully many times, were now far too real for her handle that pain properly.

She _needed_ to get home.

The Company had been mostly silent for an entire hour. Lucy realized that the dwarves were probably just as tired as she was. There were a few times that her eyes had drifted and she would fall forward only to jump awake right before her face would hit Fili's back. And every time she would jump awake she would have to grab onto Fili's hips to ensure she would not fall.

But now there was spark in activity and all the dwarves were conversing. Oin and Gloin had struck up an extremely loud conversation with Bofur and Nori. In the front of the line she could see Thorin speaking with Dwalin, Balin and Dori. Ori was asking Bilbo about life in the shire. Bifur and Bombur were mostly quiet but would butt into the others' conversations here and there. That left Fili, Kili and herself to bring up the rear of the Company as the only ones not speaking.

They continued this way for at least ten minutes.

"Your name is Lucina?" Fili asked. And then the entire company was hushed. Some even looking behind.

"Uhm, yes. After the Roman goddess of childbirth. My mom lost a lot of babies before me. And some after me." She answered, nervous to have all of their attention. Also nervous because it was Fili speaking to her. And when she was nervous she tended to over inform. "You can call me Lucy though, if you'd prefer." _Nice save, Luce. Way to not come off to strongly._

"How did a pretty maid like you find herself in the woods alone?" Kili had asked with the most charming smile she had ever seen. The compliment made her blush but she still met his eyes. She knew he was a flirt so unfortunately his kind words would probably never make her swoon. Probably.

"I had gone for a hike. And fell asleep by the stream. I was planning to follow it until I found a road or something and that was when you found me." Lucy finally matched his smile. He looked as if he were about to ask another question but someone up ahead beat him to it.

"And where are you from lass?" It had either been Oin or Gloin, but which one she couldn't be sure. She didn't know how to answer. Did she tell them that she was from another world entirely or did she lie and tell them she had no home, that she was a wanderer of sorts? But wanderers had weapons and she did not. She had no idea if there were any towns nearby. Perhaps she should say she was a farmer's daughter? But if she were, she would have known the lands enough not to have gotten lost.

"She is from a distant and strange world, Master Dwarf. She has been brought to us not by chance but by the wishes of the masters of the world, and will travel with us until we find a shelter safe enough for her to focus on finding a way back to her home." Luckily Gandalf answered for her. _Well then. I guess were just going with the complete and utter truth._ Thorin, however, seemed angry that he had only just found out her origins and slowed to speak with Gandalf privately.

"Aye, it would do no good to leave a lassie defenseless and lost on her own." This time it was Bofur who spoke.

"Another world? What is it like there?" Kili asked with the excitement of a child.

And so she spent a good two and half hours answering questions about her world. She spoke of how she was educated, that she was going to college even though she still wasn't sure what she wanted to do with her life. She had to explain the American Schooling system to them and briefly the American government. She explained what movies were, and the things she did in her free time when she was not working as a waitress.

She had been asked about a husband by Bilbo, "You look of age to already have a family." he had said to her. This lead to a very lengthy discussion on how society worked and how her family was. The dwarves seemed to have a hard time understanding that she lived with her grandmother because her mother had just moved out to live with her 'suitor' and her father lived a city away with his wife and her two half siblings. That she was only 19, and while she was an adult to her people, she was still far too young to support herself on her own or to have her own family. They spoke about how independent women were in her world. Lucy told them of how they had no orcs or goblins, that there were only humans, but she told them of the terrible wars of past and present.

At first she had been scolded quite a few times for 'speaking too vulgarly for a lady' but after a time the dwarves became quite used to it. Ori was excited to learn so much and politely asked if he may record the details about her world, which she kindly accepted. Kili was enthusiastic to learn of her friends and the way ladies dressed and acted. When she described the behaviors of modern men and women she had to explain to a very offended Dwalin that her culture was very sexualized. She gave only minor details on just how present sex was in a human's day to day life because even those made most of the dwarves go quiet and turn pink. Lucy was happy beyond words that the Company had enjoyed her and perhaps even begun to take a liking to her.

She prided herself incredibly on the fact that she had made them all laugh a few times.

All of them except Thorin. Thorin did not utter a word or spare a glance to the Company. He had moved ahead of the Company by a few yards after his discussion with Gandalf. Lucy wasn't even sure if he could hear any of her replies to his comrades' questions.

Lucy of course never mentioned the fact that in her world, they were all characters of a book. She did not mention that only two days ago she had marathoned all three extended versions of the Hobbit and all three extended versions of the Lord of the Rings. She never spoke of the binder she knew was in her bag. The binder that held some pictures of her with friends and family, drabbles for different fandoms, excerpts of fanfictions she planned to write, research information for said fanfictions, and fanart she had printed from the internet to show her friends or to help inspire her while she was at her dad's.

Which is what the bag was for. It was her school bag but for some weekends and holidays she unloaded her textbooks and packed things for her dad's. Her dad had only just set up a room for her so she barely had anything of her own there. It was no fault of his own that she didn't have a room at his house. He and his wife, Gina, had married when she was 4 or so but had separated when she was 12 and stayed separated until she was 18. They had lived in an apartment big enough for the two of them, and her little brother, Jacob, and little sister Krystina.

Until a few months ago, when they finally moved into a nice house that had an extra room they used as to room her and other guests. She had enough clothes there now that this time she had to only pack her favorite sweatpants and her Senior hoodie from highschool. She never wore a lot of makeup to her dad's so she only packed her concealer, eyeliner, lip stain and mascara. Honestly they already had a lot of things there for her to use. Especially since she usually only stayed there for a weekend.

Now, in addition to the already named items, she only had her Game of Thrones fleece blanket, some snacks, a large ring full of hair ties, an aged teddy bear, her Batman travel mug, a well worn copy of _Prisoner of Azkaban_, a letter from her incarcerated uncle, a white tank top that had many grease stains, two extra pairs of underwear, an extra bra, an extra pair of socks, deodorant, her toothbrush and floss in her bag.

Hardly enough for traveling in Middle Earth. Still, better than nothing.

The beginning of the rain is what had ended their discussion of her world and it's customs. It started out nice and light, just a sprinkle. It didn't deter the dwarves one bit. Bofur had broken out into song a few times. But gradually the drops grew full and as the drops grew the silence grew. Soon the rain was increased in speed and the wind had begun to blow it sideways.

Lucina didn't know how long it had been raining now. All she knew was that she was soaked to the bone, cold and absolutely miserable. She was sure she would get sick. The dwarves never complained though and so she remained mute as well.

"Are you cold Lady Lucina?" Fili's voice was so quiet she wasn't sure if he had truly spoken.

"Yes." She mumbled back with chattering teeth. She was too cold to insist on just calling her Lucy. Which she had been doing all day with him and him alone for the other dwarves had taken to calling her Lucina or Miss Lucy. "I can barely feel my fingers."

"I have no extra coat to offer you. I apologize. But you can hold onto me for more warmth." The offer would have made her blush had her body been able to spare extra heat to her cheeks. There was barely any room between them. But she had scooted to the back of the saddle so that she and Fili were not touching at all. She was still close enough to him to feel the heat he radiated though.

She debated it for a little bit. The butterflies were violent in her stomach but she was freezing and he had offered. And she wanted to hold him. She loved being near him. While she was still very angry with Thorin for forcing her to ride with someone she was over the moon that she was sat with Fili.

Finally she relented and scooched forward so that her front was entirely pressed against his back. Her arms wrapped tightly around his waist and she turned her head so she could lay the right side of her face against his back. Droplets from his hair dripped onto her own but she didn't mind. He was so warm. And his coat was so comfortable, even when it was soaked. She wondered momentarily why he hadn't put his hood up like the other dwarves.

All coherent thought left Lucina when one of Fili's hands grabbed hers. Her heart leapt and the butterflies in her stomach went so crazy that it made her fingertips and toes tingle. Her throat felt funny and already her cheeks were beginning to grow sore under the strain of her large smile. He maneuvered one of her hands under the protection of his coat and against the dry warmth of his leather tunic. He did the same with her other hand and she had to physically bite her lip to keep from squealing. Her eyes squeezed shut and she snuggled closer to him.

"Thank you." She hoped her voice didn't sound as lovestruck as she felt. He didn't say anything in return.

They had been like that for sometime. The rain did not relent even a tiny bit and thus neither did her hold. And even though the cold had seeped into her bones and it had begun to thunder out she did not care, she was far too happy holding onto Fili.

Finally one of the dwarves complained about the rain.

"Here, Mister Gandalf, can't you do something about this deluge?" Dori had asked.

"It is raining, Master Dwarf, and it will continue to rain until the rain is done." Gandalf answered. Lucina had almost spoke with him, for it was oddly one of her favorite lines, but knew better. "If you wish to change the weather of the world, you should find yourself another wizard."

"Are there any?" Bilbo wondered.

"What?" Gandalf asked.

"Other wizards." Bilbo clarified.

"There are five of us. The greatest of our order is Saruman the White." Lucina openly scoffed at this. Loud enough to draw Gandalf's attention. He continued on as if he hadn't heard her, "Then there are two Blue wizards. Do you know, I've quite forgotten their names."

"And who is the fifth?" Bilbo inquired.

"Well, that would be Radagast the Brown." Gandalf answered slowly.

"Is he a great wizard or is he... more like you?" Bilbo tried to ask without insult.

"I think he is a very great wizard, in his own way. He is a gentle soul who prefers the company of animals to others. He keeps a watchful eye over the vast forest lands to the east. And a good thing too, for always evil will look to find a foothold in this world."

And then it was silent again. The rain had not stopped at all that day but Fili had allowed her to latch onto him the entire time. She probably would have fallen asleep if her entire body weren't wet. Her legs tingled with numbness that she knew came from the discomfort of the pressure placed on her tailbone. But she never moved away from Fili's warmth. Only once did she stretch her legs as straight as she could. That had only pushed her harder against Fili's back. She apologized to him for it but he only patted her forearm in response.

* * *

><p>When they stopped that night to make camp it was still raining, though no longer sideways. Nonetheless the dwarves were able to start a fire to cook over. Lucina had had trouble getting off and walking away from the pony. Her legs felt like jello and it was like her muscles had forgotten how to walk. But she was able to stand long enough to get her bag from Fili and then walk to a tree that was a little ways away from the building fire.<p>

That was where she sat now. The Company had lined up to grab their servings of stew but Lucy knew her legs would not the make the trip and she doubted Thorin would even allow her any. So there she sat wet, miserable and tired, watching the Company eat their warm food.

"Here." She didn't even have the energy to jump at the voice. There was a full steaming bowl in her direct line of vision. She tenderly took the bowl and the smell made her stomach growl. She hadn't eaten at all the day and she was really starting to feel it.

"Thank you." Lucy met his piercing blue eyes with her exhausted brown ones. Thorin had his own bowl and was making move to sit by her. She looked away from him and started at her stew. It wasn't terrible. It was really fairly tasty. Nothing to write home about but still, it was pleasant on her taste buds and the warmth began to work it's way through her body already.

"Gandalf has told me that you know the everything about our quest, even the outcome." He spoke. Lucy sighed. She didn't really want to do this right now. She took another spoonful before answering.

"That was bold of him." She still didn't look at him as she answered.

"Is it not true?" He asked with a hint of annoyance. Or perhaps it was anger? She wasn't too sure. Whatever it was, it was a sound of displeasure. Finally she looked at him. He was far closer than she had thought. A little less than an arm's length away.

"Are you sure you want the truth Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror?" She hoped that by addressing him as such he would leave it. That maybe he would be too frightened by the idea of her knowing so much about him and this quest. Which she did. And for a moment she thought he would. He glanced to his stew and then back to her.

"Yes." His voice was quiet, but not a whisper. She blinked slow and sighed again. She looked to her stew and took another mouthful. It sounded as if he did similar but she was not looking so she did not know.

"In my world this land is fiction. Did you hear me explain movies?" Lucy met his eyes again. She did not feel intimidated like she usually did. She was either too tired or his current kindness was swaying her attitude towards him. The rain made parts of his hair stick to his face. The silver strands of his hair were far less noticeable at the moment. He was very intense form of handsome. Everything about him was intense and she used to hate it when he would be continuously described as such. But there were really no other words to use. Except powerful, fierce, and strong. And he was all of those things. But in this moment he was a calm, quiet type of intense.

"Yes; you said them to be moving paintings but they do not look painted, they look real. As if you are there." So he had been listening to her chatter with his Company this morning. She wondered if he noticed her hands in his nephew's jacket. She doubted it would have gone unseen by him but still; he had not commented on it.

"In my world your quest, and a future quest of Middle Earth are only books and movies. Very successful movies. They've all won awards. I've read the all the books a long time ago and I've watched the movies many, many times." It was quiet a moment. "Of course, ya know, I can't tell you anything about it."

"Do you believe you were sent here to aid us?" She hadn't thought of that. It made sense really. Why else would she end up in Middle Earth, right by the Company? It's not as if she had wished upon a star. She was content with her life back home. She knew she wasn't cut out for adventures such as this. For crying out loud it had been two years since she had a gym class and she had barely passed it that year.

"No. Well. I don't know. I haven't really thought about it. I mean, you guys don't really need aid." _Except against the gold sickness. And ya know, some orcs with an axe to grind._ "Besides, I'm too much of a burden. You wouldn't let me travel with you anyways. It's best I just try to get home." She said the last part quietly.

_Coward_.

The ugly word rang clearly above her other rushed thoughts. Lucina lowered her bowl to her lap. She was a coward. Middle Earth was beautiful, filled with such wonderful creatures. And while she did miss home, specifically her fluffy comforter right now, she knew deep down that the real reason she wanted to get home was because she was scared. She was scared of the pain from the loss of Thorin, FIli and Kili. She was scared of the feelings she would receive from possibly trying and failing to save them. She was scared that if she stayed she may somehow live long enough for the return of the One Ring. She was scared of dying herself.

"Gandalf does." Thorin admitted. _Of course he does. _Lucy thought bitterly. She didn't have the heart or strength to look at him.

They didn't speak as they finished eating. She finished her stew sometime before he did but she just stared at the empty bowl that was filling up slowly with rain water. She didn't even know how she got here, how was she supposed to figure out how to get home?

"You may prove useful." His voice remained quiet. Pensive perhaps?

Lucy's head shot up and she gaped at him. She swore she saw the hint of a grin. _He just? But I?_

"B-but I can't do anything. I can't even fight! O-or build a fire. I don't. I can't. I have like zero survival skills!" She fumbled over her words as he stood. He couldn't honestly think having her along, all the way to Erebor, could be a good idea. There was no way. He bent to pluck her bowl from her now trembling hands and this time openly grinned. _Ohmygod he's grinning at me. King Grumpy is grinning. At me. Ohhhhhhshiittttt. What is happening? This is not happening! What?!_

"We'll teach you then."

She fumbled over sounds, trying to form words of protest but he was already walking away.


End file.
